Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/08—Clinical applications
  • A61B8/0866—Clinical applications involving foetal diagnosis; pre-natal or peri-natal diagnosis of the baby
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/52—Devices using data or image processing specially adapted for diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/5207—Devices using data or image processing specially adapted for diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data, e.g. for generating an image
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/08—Clinical applications
  • A61B8/0808—Clinical applications for diagnosis of the brain
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/08—Clinical applications
  • A61B8/0883—Clinical applications for diagnosis of the heart
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
  • A61B8/4444—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device related to the probe
  • A61B8/4461—Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
  • A61B8/4444—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device related to the probe
  • A61B8/4461—Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe
  • A61B8/4466—Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe involving deflection of the probe
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/44—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device
  • A61B8/4483—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer
  • A61B8/4488—Constructional features of the ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic device characterised by features of the ultrasound transducer the transducer being a phased array
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/46—Ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic diagnostic devices with special arrangements for interfacing with the operator or the patient
  • A61B8/461—Displaying means of special interest
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/48—Diagnostic techniques
  • A61B8/488—Diagnostic techniques involving Doppler signals
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B8/00—Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/52—Devices using data or image processing specially adapted for diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • A61B8/5215—Devices using data or image processing specially adapted for diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves involving processing of medical diagnostic data
  • A61B8/523—Devices using data or image processing specially adapted for diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves involving processing of medical diagnostic data for generating planar views from image data in a user selectable plane not corresponding to the acquisition plane

Definitions

• a computer implemented method performed as part of an ultrasound, US, examination of a target of a subject.
• the method comprising: i) causing a three-dimensional, 3D, ultrasound probe to obtain a first 2D US image, wherein the first 2D US image is obtained in a first scanning plane of the probe; ii) causing the probe to obtain one or more other 2D US images in a sub-volume of a 3D field of view of a 3D mode of the US probe surrounding the first scanning plane, wherein the sub-volume has a spanning angle smaller than than a spanning angle of the 3D filed of view of the 3D mode of the probe; and iii) determining whether the target is closer to the first 2D US image or one of the one or more other 2D US images.
• Fig. 1 only shows the components required to illustrate this aspect of the disclosure and, in a practical implementation, the apparatus 100 may comprise additional components to those shown.
• the apparatus 100 may further comprise a display.
• a display may comprise, for example, a computer screen, and/or a screen on a mobile phone or tablet.
• the apparatus may further comprise a user input device, such as a keyboard, mouse or other input device that enables a user to interact with the apparatus, for example, to provide initial input parameters to be used in the method described herein.
• the apparatus 100 may comprise a battery or other power supply for powering the apparatus 100 or means for connecting the apparatus 100 to a mains power supply.
• Step i) and step ii) can be performed in arbitrary sequential order or simultaneously.
• the probe is configured to obtain the one or more other 2D US images after obtaining the first 2D US image.
• the probe is configured to obtain the 2D images in the sub-volume which includes both the 2D US images and the one or more other 2D US images.
• an ultrasound, US, imaging system comprising a three- dimensional, 3D, ultrasound probe.
• the US imaging system is configured to cause the probe to operate in a scanning mode whereby the probe: v) obtains a first 2D US image in a first scanning plane of the probe; vi) obtains one or more other 2D US images in a sub-volume surrounding the first scanning plane, wherein the sub-volume has a smaller spanning angle than that of a 3D mode of the probe; and repeats steps v) and vi) in a continuous manner.
• the 3D probe is configured to obtain the first 2D US image, and the one or more other 2D US images in a continuous loop, without obtaining a (full) 3D image.
• the apparatus 100 is part of an US imaging system.
• an US imaging system may comprise the apparatus 100, an imaging probe and a display to display the first 2D US image.
• the display may further display directional guidance.
• the directional guidance comprises a direction in which to move the US probe to image the target and is determined based on the results of step iii).
• the directional guidance is determined in such a way that when the probe is moved in the direction, the first scanning plane of the probe gets closer to the target.
• the direction in which to move the US probe is determined based on the results of step iii) such that the first scanning plane of the probe is moved toward the target.
• the apparatus may be configured to instruct or cause the probe to perform steps v) and vi). E.g. the apparatus may be configured to cause the probe to operate in the scanning mode described above.
• the apparatus 100 may thus obtain the first 2D US image by instructing or causing the probe to obtain the first 2D US image in the first scanning plane.
• the first scanning plane is a predetermined or pre-seleted scanning plane of the probe, such as a central scanning plane or primay scanning plane.
• the apparatus 100 may further obtain the one or more other 2D US images by instructing or causing the probe to obtain the one or more other 2D US images.
• the US image acquisition process may alternate between obtaining a first 2D US image in the first scanning plane and one or more other 2D US images in a sub-volume surrounding the first scanning plane. Only the first 2D US image in each iteration may be displayed to the user. The other 2D US images in each iteration may be used by the US image system to determine e.g. directional guidance.
• the transducer controller 18 can be coupled to control a DC bias control 45 for the transducer array.
• the DC bias control 45 sets DC bias voltage(s) that are applied to the CMUT transducer elements.
• step i) a 3D US probe is caused to obtain 302 a first 2D US image in a first scanning plane of the probe.
• step i) may comprise sending a message to the probe to instruct the probe to obtain the first 2D US image.
• a 3D probe is used to obtain the first 2D image.
• the first 2D US image is obtained in a first scanning plane of the probe.
• the primary plane may correspond to a plane that is central, or in the middle of all, of the possible planes that the 3D probe may image whilst in a 3D mode.
• the purpose of the method 300 may be to capture the target in the first scanning plane of the probe (e.g. that is being viewed by the sonographer).
• the first 2D US image may be obtained in real-time from the 3D probe, e.g. as part of a sequence of ultrasound images (or frames) received from the probe.
• step ii) the US probe is caused to obtain one or more other 2D US images are obtained 302 in a sub-volume surrounding the first scanning plane.
• step ii) may comprise sending a message to the probe to instruct the probe to obtain the one or more other 2D US images.
• the one or more other 2D US images may be obtained in a sub-portion of the 3D field of view (e.g. the portion around the central 2D view), instead of normal 3D operating mode (i.e. scanning the whole field of view).
• the sub-volume has a smaller spanning angle than that of the full 3D mode.
• the one or more other 2D US images may be obtained by means of a wobble about the central scanning plane of the probe.
• the sub-volume may be a volume adjacent to and/or either side of the first scanning plane.
• the one or more other 2D US images may be in scanning planes adjacent to the first scanning plane.
• the one or more other 2D images may comprise second and/or third 2D US images in second and/or third scanning planes of the probe.
• the second and/or third scanning planes are different planes to the first scanning plane of the probe.
• the second and/or third scanning planes may be adjacent to the first scanning plane (e.g. next to the first scanning plane).
• the second and third scanning planes may lie either side of the first scanning plane.
• the second and third scanning planes may be adjacent to the first scanning plane.
• Fig. 4 shows an example according to some embodiments herein.
• the first scanning plane 402 is along the central axis of the probe that is used as the default axis when using the probe in its 2D mode.
• the probe 400 sends a first 2D US image obtained in the first scanning plane 402 to an US imaging system for display on a display associated with the US imaging system.
• the probe 400 also obtains second and third 2D US images along the second and third planes 402, 404 for use in step iii), e.g. for use in determining whether a target plane is closer to the first, second or third scanning planes.
• the one or more other 2D US images may comprise any number of 2D US images in a sub-volume surrounding the first image plane.
• the placing of the 2D US images in Fig. 4 is also merely an example, and the one or more other 2D US images may alternatively all be on the same side of the first image plane, or in any other configuration.
• the method 300 comprises determining whether the target is closer to the first 2D US image or to one of the other 2D US images. Closer, as used herein, may refer to distance, or for example, closeness in terms of feature correspondence. For example, a 2D US image may be closer to a target plane if it captures a higher proportion of the anatomical features associated with the target plane, compared to another 2D US image that captures a lower proportion of the anatomical features associated with the target plane.
• the closeness of each 2D US image may be expressed in terms of a score, ranking or other rating.
• step 306 the step of determining, comprises using a machine learning model to determine a first confidence score describing how closely the first 2D US image corresponds to the target plane and a second confidence score describing how closely the one of the one or more other 2D US images corresponds to the target plane.
• ML models may be trained in a supervised manner, for example, using a training data set comprising training examples (each training example comprising an example input and a corresponding “correct” ground truth output). The model is trained on the training data, using a machine learning process.
• the confidence scores may be an aggregation (e.g. summation, mean or median) of a plurality of confidence scores, each of the plurality of confidence scores reflecting a confidence with which the machine learning model detects a respective anatomical feature associated with the target, in the respective image.
• a machine learning process comprises a procedure that is run on the training data to create the machine learning model.
• the machine learning process comprises procedures and/or instructions through which training data, may be processed or used in a training process to generate the machine learning model.
• the machine learning process learns from the training data. For example, the process may be used to determine how one set of parameters in the training data (input parameters of the model) are correlated with another set of parameters in the training data (output parameters of the model).
• the machine learning process may be used to fit the model to the training data.
• the model, or machine learning model may comprise both data and procedures for how to use the data to e.g. make the predictions described herein.
• the model is the result (e.g. output) of the machine learning (e.g. training) process, e.g. a collection of rules or data processing steps that can be performed on the input data in order to produce the output.
• the model may comprise e.g. rules, numbers, and any other algorithm-specific data structures or architecture required to e.g. make predictions.
• machine learning processes and models that may be used herein include, but are not limited to: linear regression processes that produce models comprising a vector of coefficients (data) the values of which are learnt through training; decision tree processes that produce models comprising trees of if/then statements (e.g. rules) comprising learnt values; and neural network models comprising a graph structure with vectors or matrices of weights and biases with specific values, the values of which are learnt using machine learning processes such as backpropagation and gradient descent.
• linear regression processes that produce models comprising a vector of coefficients (data) the values of which are learnt through training
• decision tree processes that produce models comprising trees of if/then statements (e.g. rules) comprising learnt values
• neural network models comprising a graph structure with vectors or matrices of weights and biases with specific values, the values of which are learnt using machine learning processes such as backpropagation and gradient descent.
• the combined score could be a weighed sum of the “must have” and “must not have” anatomical structures associated with the target plane (the must not have structures with negative weights). In such an example, a higher score would indicate that a respective plane is closer to the target plane than a lower score.
• the one or more other 2D US images may, in some embodiments, not be displayed to the sonographer, but rather used (solely) for the purposes of internal processing by an US imaging system to provide e.g. directional guidance to the sonographer.
• the method 300 may comprise sending a message to cause a display to display only the first US image, the one or more other 2D US images being for use in determining the directional guidance and not being displayed.

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• 2022
  • 2022-08-29 EP EP22192563.9A patent/EP4331499A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2023
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